Tag: antarctica

Discover the most beautiful places in the world in these 8 photos

Come enjoy these natural wonders.

If you need to renew your sense of wonder, exploring the world’s most incredible destinations can help. The dreary weather, traffic jams, and packed schedules of day-to-day life can take their toll on a person’s mental state. For just a moment, break free from all that stress and enjoy the simple pleasure of appreciating nature. Marvel at Bolivia’s serene salt flats, stand on top of the world at Trolltunga in Norway, and bask in Banff National Park’s beauty — even if you can’t visit these places in person. The gallery below will transport you to the world’s most beautiful places and explain their allure in eight magical photos.

Antarctica’s Blood Falls runs red — here’s the secret behind the color

Blood Falls will have you seeing red. Literally.

Imagine trekking through Antarctica and stumbling across bright red water that cuts through the miles of otherwise uninterrupted white ice. It may feel like you’ve stepped into a horror movie, but don’t worry — it’s just Blood Falls. West of Antarctica’s Ross Archipelago and McMurdo Station, Blood Falls has attracted curious explorers since 1911. Theories about the cause for this water outflow’s incredible color have varied over the years, but in 2017, one study helped put the mystery to rest. Now you can learn the secret behind Blood Falls, too. Spoiler alert: this natural wonder is not as spooky as it seems.

Bright red water emerging from white glaciers.
© Gero Francke/FH Aachen via DLR German Aerospace Center

In 1911, geologist Griffith Taylor explored Blood Falls and theorized that red algae lent the area its red color. By the mid-1960s, scientists began discussing the idea that the color was actually caused by iron salts from within the ice sheet. A 2017 study published by Cambridge University Press reinforced this idea through radar scans of the location. Scientists from several universities worked together to identify the subglacial lake of iron-rich saltwater that feeds Blood Falls.

“We knew that there was a brine outflow creating the falls,” lead author Jessica Badgeley, an undergraduate at Colorado College during the 2017 study, told PopSci. “The mystery that remained was the link between that source and the outflow. This is an unusual feature, and there are very few things like it. So it wasn’t obvious how you got the brine from below the glacier up to the surface.”

Bright red water emerging from white glaciers.
© Gero Francke/FH Aachen via DLR German Aerospace Center

Further curiosities remain in this briny, iron-filled water. Research on the microbial ecosystem of Blood Falls found 17 different types of microorganisms. These life forms exist without oxygen, instead using sulfate for respiration. Even stranger? The microbes also live without light, deep within the subglacial lake that fuels Blood Falls. Check out the full study here.

Penguin cleverly outwits hungry orcas, but only after a redo

A penguin chased by hungry orcas discovered a clever way of escaping the large predators, and whale watchers were a part of its scheme.

A penguin being chased by a pod of hungry orcas in Antarctica discovered a clever way of escaping the large predators, and whale watchers were a part of its scheme.

Travel blogger Matt Karsten and his wife were on a tour through the icebergs of Gerlache Strait when the unique encounter took place, Karsten capturing video of the episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_hoJ_-103o

“We were heading out for a scenic Zodiac cruise between icebergs when a large pod of orcas showed up playing in the water besides us,” Karsten explained to Daily Mail.

“They swam right up to the camera and said hello. Suddenly the orcas started chasing a gentoo penguin trying to eat it.

“Back and forth they went with the penguin swimming fast with the orcas on its trail. Eventually the poor penguin tried to jump into a nearby zodiac boat. The penguin failed at first, [bouncing off the side of the Zodiac and] falling back into the water, but then managed on the second attempt.”

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The orcas actually followed the Zodiac boat for a while before giving up and moving on.

“After cruising for a little bit, the penguin said goodbye to the boat and hopped back into the icy water,” Karsten told the Daily Mail.

“It was crazy to see in person. It was like watching a National Geographic episode on location. I imagine the penguin was very relieved to get away.”

Photo courtesy of Matt Karsten.

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Which of these elephant seal photos is real?

Justin Hofman’s southern elephant seal image is remarkable, but apparently not remarkable enough as a doctored version has gone viral.

Justin Hofman’s southern elephant seal image is remarkable: head out of the water, snout pointed skyward, bulbous eyes staring into the lens, whiskers probing….

But apparently the image, shared recently via Instagram, was not remarkable enough. Somebody doctored the photo, without permission, to give the massive pinniped an even more comical appearance.

Can you tell which of the images posted above is the original? (Answer revealed in social media posts below.)

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Hofman told For The Win Outdoors that the image he shared three weeks ago was captured in 2011 in Antarctica. The post garnered nearly 12,000 likes and was widely shared on marine mammal-themed social media pages.

However, the photoshopped version went viral thanks to multiple appearances on Imgur and Reddit, with no photographer attribution. The image also circulated via Twitter and Facebook, and many were fooled into thinking it was unaltered.

As viewers can see, the doctored version features what looks like a mouth and nose beneath the eyes. Other tweaks to the whiskered area make it appear as though the mammal is wearing a hairpiece, while its human-like face stares into the camera.

In the original photo, the mouth and chin are on the other side of the seal’s head, facing away from the camera. Viewers are looking at the top of the head.

This shrewd manipulation was carried out without permission of the photographer. However, when reached over the weekend, Hofman seemed to be a good sport.

“The Internet is a lawless place, but I don’t really mind it,” he said. “It’s all done with good intentions and I appreciate anything that makes people laugh.”